Gay marriage advocates target Onorato

The “Gang of Three” are yesterday’s targets for ThePowerOnline.org — a gay rights organization formed during the Senate’s leadership fight to push Sens. Ruben Diaz, Pedro Espada, and Carl Kruger to support Malcolm Smith.

The group is now going after Democratic Sen. George Onorato of Queens and are planning a rally on Sunday in Astoria.

They’ve also sent constituents, armed with cameras and audio recorders, to his district office asking for an appointment and badgering an elderly staff member about Onorato’s refusal to meet with constituents on the issue.

One thing this group might want to consider is learning the name of their senator before publishing a video railing him for his position on gay marriage — in the video below, the constituent keeps pronouncing the senator’s name as “Oronato.”

Now that Democrats control the Senate and enjoy the benefits of being in the majority (committee chairmanships, bigger staff, better offices and more pork),many more Democratic senators will likely face primaries in the 2010 election. Some Democratic staffers have said they expect more than a handful of seats to turn over to new Democrats. The gay marriage vote, if it is brought to the floor this year, could become a wedge issue for incumbents being challenged by the left in liberal districts.

Onorato may face significant political pressure to change his stance on gay marriage — the district has changed significantly in the 25 years since he was first elected to the Senate. As the Queens Tribune writes:

Astoria’s identity is shifting from hearty spanakopita and frothy ales to delicate sushi and fine wine – and the population is changing as well.

Queens is the most diverse county in the Unites States, and one of its formerly most traditional sectors is morphing with each passing day. Astoria, known for decades as a Greek stronghold, is emerging as a Little Chelsea in many ways. The populace is shifting to a younger crowd that parties later (or earlier depending on your vantage) in a flourishing nightlife.

Onorato told Casey Seiler that he’s not concerned about the prospect of a primary. “I’m not concerned…if it happens, it happens. That’s the name of the game,” he said.